In assembling hermetic compressors in general and, specifically, hermetic scroll compressors, assembly is keyed to and takes place within the shell. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,150 discloses an assembly method where the stator of the motor is secured in place in the shell and then serves as a reference for locating and securing the upper and lower bearings. With the bearings secured in place, the other members can then be assembled in place. Assembling within the shell requires special fixtures, machining dowel holes, the use of dowels, etc. to permit assembly of the very accurately machined parts. Thus, the assembly that takes place within the shell requires a complicated system for automatic assembly.